Welcome to Headliners@FedUni, a monthly bulletin of news and top stories.

December 2017

Heart Study gains International Interest

Dr Fadi Charchar

A new study led by FedUni biomedical researchers and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council is helping in the fight against heart disease.

Researchers on the project believe that genetic mutations on the Y chromosome can put males at an increased risk of coronary heart disease. FedUni’s Dr Fadi Charchar says better understanding the Y chromosome will help identify men who are susceptible to cardiovascular diseases and begin early intervention.

The NHMRC grant will enable the team to continue their work until 2020. They have also received British Heart Foundation funding to follow their findings in 200,000 participants of the UK Biobank, a major international health resource, with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses.

Prestigious Student Scholarship

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop presented Federation University Australia student Chris Hams with a Federal Government New Colombo Plan scholarship during a ceremony at Parliament House this month.

The New Colombo Plan supports Australian undergraduates to live, work and study in 40 locations across the Indo-Pacific region. Chris, a second year Bachelor of Community and Human Services/Bachelor of Education student, has been accepted as a visiting student at the University of Hong Kong in semester one of 2018.

Research Team wins VicHealth Award

The FedUni Sport and Recreation Spatial Research Team was officially acknowledged as a leader in health promotion at the prestigious VicHealth Awards for their efforts to improve the health and well-being of the community.

The research undertaken by Associate Professor Rochelle Eime and her team analyses and reports annually on sport participation for 12 major sports in Victoria, to support government decision making and investment in sport.

Further Honour for Professor Rae Mackay

At the University’s December graduations, Professor Rae Mackay, eminent engineer and hydrogeologist, was awarded with the title of Emeritus Professor.

Professor Mackay was appointed Latrobe Valley’s first mine rehabilitation commissioner in July 2017, a position created in the wake of the reopened Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry.

His Emeritus Professor title was awarded in recognition of his demonstrated sustained commitment and a high level of scholarly distinction during his period at the FedUni Gippsland Campus when he was responsible for the successful establishment and leadership of the Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Engineering Research Group (GHERG).